


the prince and the pauper

by waobii (orphan_account)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Arranged Marriage, Feels, Flower Crowns, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Light Angst, M/M, just self-indulgence at its finest tbh, rip Atsumu, that atsuhina kingdom oneshot u didnt really ask for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24553552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/waobii
Summary: a relationship between a prince and a pauper is doomed from the start. that much is obvious, but it's really only human nature to want and try.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Kudos: 27





	the prince and the pauper

atsumu remembers it all. it's quite sick, really, how difficult it is for him to forget. he's long ago stopped trying.

he remembers the first day they met.

it was, more or less, the perfect day. the sky was cloudless, a vibrant azure blue. the sun was beaming down upon them all, a trickle of sweat racing down his forehead.

 _damn, if only the sun were a bit less harsh,_ atsumu thinks, outstretching a hand to swipe at the formed perspiration.

looking around, he's unsure what to do. he's finished his chores for the day, and there are a couple hours left until curfew set.

a memory flashes in his mind. ah, right. there was a flower field somewhere beyond all that shrubbery...

without a second thought, atsumu made his way towards his destination. after a few minutes of venturing, he paused.

 _i might... be lost._ atsumu admitted grudgingly. if memory served right, he should have passed the area by now.

so. where was he?

atsumu, however, was never one to ask for help. that was a fact; anybody associated with him knew that much. no, he was far too prideful for that.

releasing a low grunt of displeasure, he raked his fingers through his mussed amber locks.

"aghh," he huffed. "what am i gonna do?"

as he stood there for a few moments, pondering his options, he heard a faint shout.

he paused. did his hearing deceive him, or was that some kid yelling? tense, he listened attentively, awaiting another cue that would affirm his suspicions.

there, somewhere far away in the distance, was another cry. but, unlike he'd suspected, it seemed one of delight?

atsumu doesn't think he's much of a nosy person, but he quickly found himself following the direction in which the noise had arisen.

soon enough, he finds himself in... a flower field. drawing a short breath, he grinned. his moment of grandeur is shattered as another scream rings out.

he grimaces. holy shit, it was so much louder now that he was nearby.

scanning the field, his eyes catch on a boy. a medium-sized, orange-haired boy to be exact.

he was dressed in a fairly simple sleeved white linen shirt, wrinkled all over, and absolutely tinged brown, which atsumu guessed is a result of soil, if the speckles of dirt were to give anything away. it was paired with baggy, tan trousers.

atsumu gazes at the boy, beguiled. once tense muscles relax as he watches. he was flailing his arms around giddily. _you'd think the guy had never been outside, or somethi–_

_wait a damn second._

atsumu peers at the man. orange hair, sharp face features, bronze irises circled in black, fair skin, slightly below average height...

 _i_ _s this the prince?_ the thought, although fleeting, struck him immediately. the cogs inside his head were turning, making quick work. "holy shit." he exclaims.

across the clearing, the prince–rather, prince hinata– froze. atsumu stares as he spins around, puffing his chest out, straightening his figure. "u-um," he coughs, "who are you and what are you doing here?"

atsumu's eyes remain on him for a second longer, enough to see his false confidence waver. he couldn't help but burst out laughing, lowering himself into a crouch. he rests his face on his arm, propped up on his knee. tilting his head, his eyes flicker, wholeheartedly amused. 

"shouldn't i be asking you that, my prince?" he returns.

a redness can be seen creeping up his neck, spreading to his cheeks. he closes his eyes. when reopened, his gaze is hardened. he seems scared, atsumu observes.

"no. who are you? answer me." it seems something of a warning, so atsumu complies.

"whoa there, your highness. no need to threaten, i can tell you my name if you're really that," his tone is lilting, "desperate. it's atsumu miya. 'm just a regular townsfolk."

prince hinata's eyes study him. much to his dislike, his legs are starting to cramp, so atsumu picks himself up off the ground, stretching his arms.

without warning, atsumu strides towards the boy. the royal's eyes widen, comparable to saucers. before he can protest, atsumu glances down at the bouquet of flowers tight in his grasp.

"what're those?" he inquires. 

there's a beat of silence, as though the prince is contemplating whether or not he should run and scream for help. finally, "they're carnations... all of different colours."

atsumu hums, "really?" he surveys the field abundant of flowers. "which is your favourite?"

gradually, it seems the prince is loosening up. "um, my favourite are camellias..."

with a quick scan, atsumu reaches beyond the cluster to pick at a particular, yellow flower. he turns to the prince.

"w-what are you-" atsumu shushes him, holding a side of his face in his palm as he places the camellia behind his ear.

during this, atsumu noticed the boy had fallen silent, breathing hot. stepping away, he admired his handiwork. the flower, though massive in the mess of tangerine hair, worked well with his appearance.

"looks good!" he complimented, giving him a thumbs up, cheeky grin plastered on his face.

atsumu waited for a response. instead, the prince turned and fell to the ground with a thump, landing on his knees.

"h– your highness, are you okay?" curse his tongue, he almost said his name. that wouldn't have sat well. walking over, he fixes his gaze on the boy. his hands were moving too fast for him to tell what was going on.

huffing, atsumu stepped back and stood there, awkwardly. _hm, maybe it would've been better if i'd left the dude alone?_

before he could make his exit, the prince rose. he blinked, and there was a flower crown resting atop his head.

slowly, atsumu reached up. his fingers grazed the crease of a delicate leaf, and the smooth petals it accompanied. he glanced at the prince.

he seemed nervous, wringing his fingers together, eyes downcast. awaiting approval.

atsumu released an astonished chortle. "what.. what the hell?" he doubled over in laughter, found himself unable to stop.

the heir's eyes snapped up, face flushed. "w-what?!" he blurted, "is it bad?? i-i can fix it-"

"my dear prince," atsumu cut him off, teasing, "what is this?" he gestures toward his new hat.

"i-it's a flower crown," he stuttered. atsumu looked him over. his cheeks were still swept in ruby red, his hands appearing clammy. 

impulsively, atsumu reached out, combing his fingers through a head of disheveled hair. the prince looks up at him, the colour on his face venturing into even deeper shades.

he grinned. "it's cute. thanks, your highness."

the atmosphere shifted between them. the prince, face still raised towards him, smiled. his eyes formed into little, adorable crescents, concealing the stars that were his irises.

"wanna be friends?" he asked, cheerily. atsumu started; the warmth of another's palm joined his. subconsciously, his fingers interlaced with the other's. he tore his gaze away to stare at their clasped hands.

 _is this allowed?_ was his first reaction. his second reaction wasn't so much words, rather a knowledge of blood rushing to his cheeks.

he glanced back at the prince, prince hinata, who hadn't ceased his beaming. now that he was so close to him, he really was very easy on the eyes. extremely, easy on the eyes.

a warmth pooled in his stomach; he found himself incapable of tearing his gaze away from this... sun reincarnate, if you will.

in the next moment, he had tightened his hold on the other's hand; he was smiling, broad, to the extent he was sure his jaw would be sore later. "sure."

* * *

for the forthcoming couple of weeks, the two met under the cover of darkness. they had fun, getting to know each other. gradually, it didn't seem like they could say they were just friends anymore.

and then, abruptly, hinata stopped appearing. atsumu waited for him at their spot for a couple weeks. not once did the prince show up.

atsumu was utterly confused. he felt deceived, somehow. he couldn't blame hinata, because he knew for a damn fact that it wasn't his fault. but he didn't know what to do.

he remembers the last day they'd spent together, crystal clear.

it'd been a day like any other. they chatted, amused themselves, and such. atsumu thought that everything was fine. in fact, it was better than fine. it seemed like they were going somewhere.

and then, hinata stopped coming. and atsumu didn't know why, until the news was broken to him by osamu.

"hey, 'tsumu, are you still talking to the prince?" it wasn't a peculiar question, though atsumu couldn't help feeling irritated. he shifted in his seat, staring out the window. avoiding eye contact as much as possible.

"no," atsumu answered, feigning indifference. "why'd you ask?"

osamu didn't respond for a second, long enough for an unsettling silence to shroud the room. when he next spoke, he deflected the question, "have you heard the news?"

something didn't feel right. his stomach was churning uncomfortably. he turned to look at his brother. "no. what news?"

quiet. osamu was hesitating. "tell me. what news?" atsumu repeated, slowly. fear was clawing at his throat.

"his highness. he's taken a bride. the wedding is next week."

cracking. shattering?

it hurt. it hurt so much. why is it hurting? what the fuck is hurting?

* * *

often days, atsumu found himself picking apart their memories together. anything that hinted at hinata's upcoming wedding. he didn't like how, the longer he thought about it, the easier it was to foresee the coming events.

there were so many hints. how hinata had always seemed to stop himself whenever they might share something intimate. how it wasn't only atsumu's eyes who would find themselves chasing after the other when they thought neither party would see. how hinata's eyes would light up whenever atsumu complimented him, and how they would just as quickly fade. how flushed hinata would become whenever atsumu so much as grazed his arm. how he flinched. how hinata would pull away. how hinata's eyes would fall whenever atsumu mentioned his future. the heavy atmosphere. how hinata was always so hesitant to say anything that might be taken the wrong way.

was it all a lie? did atsumu just read into it incorrectly? was he the only one falling in love?

he didn't know. and, yet, it hurt. it hurt like hell.

atsumu chuckled, raspy, as tears escaped from his eyes, reddened from crying. he made no effort to wipe them away. his eyelids fluttered shut.

truly, what a fool he was.

* * *

 _how bittersweet it is_ , atsumu thinks, laughing dryly, _that we meet again on the day of your, what, wedding?_

for most, it's a joyous day, one worthy of celebration. everyone is bustling, rippling with excitement, anticipating the news. 

"i'll be over there," osamu calls, before heading off in another direction. atsumu doesn't bother paying attention, instead grunts in reply.

rather, he's focusing all his attention on finding him. searching desperately for the familiar tuft of orange hair, belonging to the boy he'd grown to love.

screaming erupts from the crowd, and atsumu swivels to see what caused the commotion. he froze. there he was. this time, he was donned in clothing that truly boasted his title of prince. or, future king.

he finds himself unable to look away. he's frozen in place, heart and mind alike in chaos. waiting. for what? for him to notice.

prince hinata turns.

two eyes lock. one a ripe apricot, the other a dark chocolate. hinata startles, the barest hint of despair flickering in his irises, his smile drooping for just a second. just a second, because that infuriating picture-perfect expression finds itself upon his features once again as the announcement rings out,

"it is my greatest pleasure, on this beautiful day, that i present to you, people of —, your new king and queen!"

as deafening cheers arise from all around, atsumu stares prince hinata down. he burns the memory of hinata on that day, smiling only for him, face the most beautiful scarlet, in his mind one last time. his lips upturn, a charming smile forcing its way onto his face.

the remnants of his heart shatters. he puts his hands up to his face, cupping his mouth, and joins the cheer.

"long live the king and queen!"

**Author's Note:**

> aha idk what to say here lmaoo. this is my first atsuhina fanfic, yay? whew, this took me a good couple hours. i can't be bothered to edit it rn it's 4 am, i'll prob save it for when i wake up. low-key had me feeling bad for the two while writing lool, they deserve a happy ending smfhh. regardless, thank you for reading! leaving kudos and/or commenting is much appreciated, hope you enjoyed <3


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